You Will LOVE Mexico’s ‘Day Of The Dead’ Olympic Ski Team Costumes

I think people are always surprised that Mexico does indeed have an Olympic ski team. What’s not surprising is that they always seem to have the BEST uniforms. This year? They’re Day of the Dead—Dia de los Muertos—themed.

Mexico has sent two Alpine skiers to the Winter Games in PyeongChang and their outfits, a tribute to the ‘Day of the Dead’, are pretty sweet. They were designed by Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe, 59, who designed them and has represented Mexico in six Winter Games.

Prince you say? That’s right. According to the Washington Post, his family reigned over a principality in what is now the northeastern of Baden-Württemberg in Germany until the early 19th century.

Although he spends most of his time in Europe, he is eligible to compete for Mexico because he was born there. At the time his father, Prince Alfonso, was running a Volkswagen plant in Mexico and he spent the first four years of his life there.

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Should I make this political? Yes. Because most things are political. Furthermore, Von Hohenlohe seems to agree that this is political. His musical track, titled Austin, is a protest song against Pres. Donald Trump’s disgusting comments about Mexico and the Mexican people.

“I am having a go at the idea that Trump is trying to build a wall and put a boundary between Mexico and the United States,” he told USA Today. “We go to the Olympics and [it’s] all peace and cheesy and ‘how much we love each other.’ And [yet] there is this very barbarian thing of putting up a wall. So, I made a song and it is coming out on exactly the day that we walk into the [Opening Ceremonies] of the Olympic Games.” (WaPo)

Here’s the song.

Von Hohenlohe has lived a storied life. He was friends with Andy Warhol in the 1970s, speaks five languages, has skied all over the world (competing in six Olympic games), hosts a travel TV show, and is an internationally renowned photographer. But he’s putting all of that aside for this month to take on an organization role with Mexico’s young Olympians and he is focusing on raising the profile of Mexico’s Winter Olympics program.

For many years, he was the nation’s only representative at the Games, participating first in 1984 in Sarajevo, and wore a specially tailored mariachi ski suit at Sochi. (USA Today)

Some of the other members of the team have a diverse background as well. Rodolfo Dickson was adopted from a Mexican orphanage by Canadian parents, and Sarah Schleper is from Vail, Colorado. She has competed for the U.S. and is married to a Mexican citizen, giving her dual citizenship.

Dickson is serious about his heritage, and shared this with USA Today.

“I don’t live in Mexico but I am very proud of the place where I was born. I really want to start something new. There are a lot of young guys in Colorado who could represent Mexico, so in a few years I hope there will be a big team and athletes capable of being really successful.”

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Freestyle skier Robby Franco is from Northern California, but opted to represent Mexico. He obtained citizenship thanks to his father, who was born in Guadalajara.

“It is a huge honor to be pioneering this sport in Mexico,” Franco said. “It’s shocking how awesome the response was in Mexico. I thought everyone would be ‘he’s living in the U.S.’ But no, it was like ‘you’re one of us, you’re family.’ ”

Reading that makes my eyes misty because yes…that’s how Mexican people are. Every single Mexican person I’ve ever met is exactly like that. I’ll cheerfully and proudly do battle with any conservative American who says differently.

This isn’t the Prince’s first foray into designing Olympic Gold in the category of Best. Ski. Uniforms. Ever. In 2014’s Sochi winter games, Hohenlohe wore a now-legendary mariachi uniform.

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In Vancouver in 2010, he wore this awesome vaquero (cowboy) uniform.

The team will compete in the Alpine skiing event, which will take place from February 12-24. Can’t wait! Viva Mexico!